Women are leading the charge to bridge the racial divide in Bermuda.

Lynn Winfield, president of Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda, said on average three quarters of those at the group’s truth and reconciliation sessions were women.

Ms Winfield added that the latest round of Curb’s Truth and Reconciliation conversations, launched in January and which finished this month, have drawn “the most white males we’ve had to date”.

Ms Winfield said: “Overall, women are more likely to sign up than men, with on average 75 per cent of participants being female.”

She added the difference in numbers could be women were “just the more altruistic sex and more community-oriented”.

Ms Winfield said: “We must also consider the culture of silence that has been rife in our community, which still prevents people from wanting to talk about race.

“Hopefully, as Curb continues this work over the next few years, the fear of speaking out will lift and we will normalise conversations around race, with more and more people willing to participate.”

Ms Winfield added: “We do need more men willing to be part of this process.

“Their input is critical and brings a different perspective, and, hopefully, as we move forward more will join.”

Two seven-week groups are scheduled to begin on Tuesday and Wednesday, which Ms Winfield said were expected to be smaller than previous sessions, which attracted more than 20 people.

She added: “We don’t think there will be more than 15 or 16. That should be more intimate and allow people to establish relationships.

“There’s really a need for people to hear everybody.”

The group’s aim is to reach 1,000 people through the facilitator-led discussions over “the next several years”.

Anyone interested in joining the group can e-mail admin@uprootingracism.org or call 505-0112